Supporters of Tota Singh, Gill will ensure Jain’s defeat: Capt
Tuesday, 19/02/2013
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130219/punjab.htm#5
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Capt Amarinder Singh today claimed that the supporters of Akali leaders Tota Singh and PS Gill would ensure the defeat of SAD nominee Joginder Pal Jain in the Moga bypoll.
Addressing a gathering at Rattian village, Amarinder Singh mocked at Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for his "desperate attempts" to convince Tota Singh and Gill to support turncoat Jain whom they had opposed in last year's assembly elections.
Taking a dig at the Chief Minister for staying overnight with dissident and alienated Akali leaders in Moga in order to bring them on the track, Amarinder Singh advised him "not to waste time and energy at this age and better take care of his ailing health, lest he catches chest infection once more".
"I can understand Badal's tragedy because he is fighting a desperate battle for survival, though everybody knows well that he (Badal) was not keen to induct Jain into the party and field him in the bypoll," he said. Amarinder Singh claimed that Tota Singh first bluntly refused Badal to campaign for Jain but later Badal urged him that for the sake of his honour and age, he (Tota Singh) should at least accompany him to public meetings even if he did not want his supporters to join Jain's campaign.
"This is the reason why none of Tota Singh and Gill's supporters are campaigning for Jain," he said.
"Notwithstanding Badal's bravado about his good health and being 90 per cent young, the matter of the fact is that he has been advised complete bed rest but was dragged out from bed to campaign in Moga by his son Sukhbir Badal to save him from an imminent defeat."
